Patio Palapa Makeover

Like I said on the last post, on a tentative note, Mario's crew is supposed to be starting Monday morning on the patio palapa. But after one of the biggest holidays of the year, Independence Weekend (Independence Day was 21 September), it remains to be seen just how up for the task they'll be, come tomorrow morning.

Patio Palapa

What they 're going to be working on is the roof of the palapa. We're having them replace the thatch with zinc, just like was done for the parking palapa. And, it's going to be screened in, just like the pool enclosure. We'll have a screen door as well, but also, when we're using it, we can leave the screen door open, because we'll have one of those magnetic screen curtains across the doorway area.

Yes, It's Seen Better Days

Although it looks like it got whacked by a hurricane, nothing like that has happened. The thatch just needs some serious repair. But, since thatch is becoming harder to get, as well as more expensive, we delayed repairs as long as possible.

No Hurricane - Yet

What we're going to now is similar to what we did with the parking palapa - it will get a new zinc roof, which should last much, much longer.

The current roof just lets too much light and rain in.

Oh, I almost forgot. It will also be screened in so a favorite place to sit quietly and read a book will be resurrected once again. It should be similar to the screening we currently have around the pool enclosure.

A Roof Over Our Heads

Roofing the palapa began yesterday and should probably finish sometime today. As soon as they finish that, the crew will give the underside and all the wood a spray coat of Selignum - as I understand it, it's a combination of wood preservative and bug killer.

To start, workers carry big bundles of thatch (called leaf) from the stack to an area where they can break open the bundles, do a preliminary sort of the leaf and trim each stalk to a uniform length. This makes a big difference when looking at the roof from the underside. It will appear uniform and almost knitted in appearance.

Carrying Bundles

Chopping the Stalks

After each stalk in the bundle has been sorted and chopped, it's then transferred under the palapa structure where it's spread open and wrapped loosely around a line suspended from the roof.

Choppers then Stack Leaf on the Lines

There's A Reason For Everything

The Guys doing the actual thatching then hoist the lines up so they have a ready supply of leaf to work with. They move the lines around with them as the work progresses around the roof.

First Piece Braided in Place

A Few More Done

The leaf is attached to the horizontal sticks by first grabbing a few central strands and twisting them. That is then fed under and up over the stick and then braided with the rest of the leaf to firmly attach it. It's then slid over against its neighbor forming a tight bond.

Hoisting a Bundle

A Longer View

Hoisting A Big Bundle

Work Progresses Rapidly

As you can see, the thatchers sort of scoot their way along the roof, moving as they attach the leaf.

It Becomes a Fairly Fast Moving Process

Here, the roof is definitely becoming recognizable as such. It's taken maybe two hours to get to this point.

The Roof Quickly Takes Shape

Thatch Now Goes All Around

The view from underneath. You can see how neat and orderly a well-made thatch job becomes. I'll have more shots later today on the continuation and finish of the job.

Looking Good From Down Under

Still A Ways To Go

Our house itself is undergoing some changes, besides just concrete work. It's getting a new paint job. Terracotta, Sand, and Light Blue are the colors of the day.

Painting Is Moving Right Along

The Blue is Intruiging

Of course, supervision is always part of the deal. Cindy keeps a close eye on things. Probably hopeful of a stray chicken bone anytime of day. You never know, it could happen!

Here's Cody's soak-aways in their finished state - before we add the piping from the gutters. Which haven't been installed yet either.

Cindy Supervising Painting

Gravel-Filled Soak-Away

Every Day is Saturday

Only some Saturdays are better than others. This was a pretty good one. I made a run into town this morning to Lano's Supply to get a whole bunch of pipe and fittings, so we can run the extension to the water main down the length of the drain field and then over to the parking palapa.

I had to do it this morning because I knew that about 12:30 PM I was going to be going to the Corozal Men's Group meeting. Not only did I get all the pipe and fittings (only not the Romex or three-strand electrical wire), I also picked up two cases of beer, some cans of dog food, a couple of batteries for my camera, some cans of cat food.

Then I went to the CMG meeting. That was fun as usual. It's nice to have a men's group to talk about "stuff".

Anyway, after the meeting (I had ridden with Craig), as he was turning around to drop me off, I noticed a big truck in my driveway and what looked like a huge tarp covering something next to my fence. At first I thought I had received another load of sand or gravel. Then it hit me. Today's not Sunday...

Cindy Inspecting a Huge Load of Thatch

Sunday was the day that Abraham was supposed to be delivering a huge load of "Bay Leaf" thatching palm leaves for our parking palapa. Well, they had the opportunity and so it got done today.

Abraham thinks they probably will start on the structure this week - the wood poles are supposed to be delivered Monday. He thinks it could be done as soon as Friday. Wow! That would simply be spectacular if it were to happen that fast.

Now, what that means is that Cody and I have to get to work fast to finish the trench out to the palapa once they get the vertical poles in place. We have to hook up the water and test it before burying it, and we have to run the wire though the electrical conduit as well - both being run in the same trench, but in separate pipes. And we need to get it buried as well.

Pipe For The Palapa

I'll be sure to take fotos of the work this next week cause I think things will be happening fast. Oh yes, we'll also be getting our windows Monday, and they should be installed this coming week as well.

Stay tuned.